


Three inches

by shethenightwolf



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Eventual Romance, Eventual Sex, F/M, Love Confessions, Love Triangles, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-02
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-05 16:47:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20492024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shethenightwolf/pseuds/shethenightwolf
Summary: Hopper can’t get over the past while you really want your relationship with him to work.





	1. Chapter 1

_How the hell did you find yourself in this situation? _

It was freezing inside of Jim’s cabin when you two got there at late night - after a few drinks and a dinner you ended up at his place, together. Not that it did not happen earlier, but this time it was different. No one else was there as El decided to go to Max’s place for a sleepover. You were finally just in two in his living room and no one would interrupt you there. Only you and chief. _Jim. You meant Jim, but somehow, you couldn’t stop calling him chief. _

You two have been seeing each other for some time now, but still, your relation was… Complicated. You were much younger, you should not have fallen for Jim in the first place - a mature man in middle age - but it happened. The heart was not your ally this time as your brain told you to back off a long time ago - your heart was desperately trying to push you towards him - and after months of seeing him in the bar you were working in, you decided to give it a try. You were surprised when you realised that he had been watching you for a while too, but it only gave you more courage to make the first move. 

It was not easy for you at first - but it has never been a secret that where there is a feeling, nothing can hold two people away. So despite every obstacle you had to overcome such as your age, you decided to go for it, but… to take things slow. As things were not hard enough for you already, you did not want your relationship… or whatever it was, to be equally hard.

“I’m sorry, Y/N, the heating had to stop working.” He tried to explain himself and this awkward situation you two were in. “Take my coat for now. I’m gonna get us some blankets.” 

“T-thanks.” You stammered. _God, you could not remember the last time you felt this cold_. Winters in Hawkins were rough, but this one was the roughest of all that you have experienced in your life. 

You put on his jacket as he handed it over to you - it was one of his favourites jackets, a dark blue one, way too big for you, but you didn’t care about that at all. All that mattered for you was that it was his and it kept you warm. You did not need more than that.

“Turns out, I don’t even have a single blanket. El had to take them with her to Max’s.” Hopper said as he got out of his daughter’s room. “Again, I’m so sorry. I wanted to spend a nice evening with you… I didn’t expect all these things to happen, I-” 

“It’s okay.” You told him at the same time interrupting him in the middle of the sentence. “It still can be a nice evening, you know? We won’t let the cold ruin our plans, will we? But I’m gonna keep your coat in that case.” 

“Hey, it’s not fair…” He said, but you looked at him fussily and he soon realised you intended to keep it - even if that was clearly not fair. He shook his head and sat down on the couch, making himself comfortable before he asked: “Are you gonna join me here?”

“Coming,_ chief_.” You joked and he rolled back his eyes in response - you might overuse calling him ‘chief’ sometimes, but you really enjoyed that. In a way, it really turned you on, but Jim did not know that. _Hopefully, he did not_.

You joined him on the couch and immediately placed your head on his right shoulder. His hand began to caress the back of your head softly and when you raised your head to look him in the eyes, your lips met in a gentle kiss. His rough lips were brushing yours and his beard was scratching your skin, making you grin. You closed your eyes and let yourself enjoy this moment with him.

He pulled away slowly and saw your flushed cheeks - it was getting warmer for you, but surely it was not because the heating was back. Jim chuckled, seeing the blush on your face and left a small kiss on your burned forehead. Why did you have to leave the light on?

“What?” You asked and bit your lip shyly. “What’s so funny?” 

“Nothing… You’re just so sweet, you know?” 

“I didn’t till now.” You replied, straddling his lap and touching his cold arms with your hands. “I think I will have to warm you up a little as I’m feeling guilty for not giving you your coat back.”

“That’s the only reason why you want to warm me up? Because you’re feeling guilty?” He joked as his hands moved under the jacket to touch your waist.

“That’s it.” You smiled, brushing off his coat from your shoulders. You were just in a black, thin sweater and jeans and if your discussion was meant to last more than a brief moment, you began to worry you were gonna freeze. “Or maybe, I was just looking for a better excuse to do this.”

You began to unbutton his blue shirt slowly, but he stopped you after you reached the second button. “We were supposed to take things slow, remember?” 

This time you rolled back your eyes, feeling the frustration growing inside you. It was your idea not to rush things, but the longer you have been together the harder it was to stick to your decision. “Really, Jim?” 

“Oh, no more _chief_?” He asked ironically. “Do I have to remind you whose idea it was?” 

“Fine, guilty as charged.” You said, sighing heavily. “So, I’m gonna freeze to death here.”

“Put on my coat back then.” 

“Then you will freeze.” You pointed. “What? That’s the truth. You should really think of finding a better place for yourself and El.” 

“It’s not that cold, Y/N. Besides, you know we can’t…”

“I know. I know, that’s why you’re stuck here, in this goddamn cabin in the middle of nowhere. I know your reasons and I respect them. I just like complaining sometimes.” You leaned your forehead against his so the tips of your noses were almost touching each other. “I’m really thinking of breaking some rules right now.”

“No. Not gonna happen tonight.” 

“_God, why did he have to be this stubborn?_” You thought to yourself.

You moved even closer to him, leaning down to whisper to his ear. “We can keep our doors three inches open if it helps you sleep at night.”

He huffed and chuckled lightly. “You’re unbelievable.”

“I thought I’m sweet.” 

“And unbelievable.” He repeated. “I shouldn’t have told you about this rule. It’s made for El, not you.” 

“Well, since you don’t want to touch me…”

“I want to. God, I just…”

“What?”

“I don’t want to hurt you. I want you to be sure that you really want this, that you really want… me.” He looked you right in the eyes. “I don’t want you to regret anything, because I really like you, Y/N.”

_Like? That was it? You were ready to tell him you love him and he just told you he liked you?_ He was looking at you and you knew something was holding him back from saying more than that. Or someone was holding him back from doing so. His eyes were telling you more than he ever could.

“That’s it? You like me?” You huffed and moved away up from his lap. “After like 4 months of being… Together? Are we even together? Maybe we are just a couple of friends who spend their free time hanging out with each other and sometimes making out on the couch?”

“Y/N…”

“You know what? I should’ve known you would never get over Joyce. What was I even thinking, how could I ever replace her in your life?” You felt tears coming to your eyes and when you shut them, you let them fall on your cheeks. Suddenly, you felt angry and decided to leave before you had said something you would regret later.

You stood up rapidly and went straight to the doors. “I’m going home, Jim.”

“Y/N, wait up-” Hopper said as the doors shut behind your back. And before he had gotten up from the couch, you were already gone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, let me get one thing straight - I could not resist using Billy in this story (sorry not sorry, it’s Billy Hargrove!) as let’s suppose, a potential reader is a few years older than Billy (I mean +18) so it works (at least for me). ;) Oh and I’m sorry for the waiting!

You weren’t thinking straight when you left Jim’s cabin and headed further in the dark woods. It was stupid of you to go out there alone, not really knowing where you were going - in the darkness, it was hard to see anything except contours of the trees. After a while, a tiny light in the distance made you sure that there was a road ahead of you. When you reached it, you told yourself it could only get easier from there. But it was freaking cold and you were out there only in your black sweater.

_God, you should have stayed at Jim’s._

But you could not stand him obsessively thinking about Joyce. It was just too much for you - you really tried your best to make him forget about her - sadly, with no result. _Maybe all this time you were making a fool out of yourself? Maybe it would have been better if you two had never fallen for each other? _That was one way of seeing things. The other one was that you fucking loved him.

_And you could only wish he loved you as much as he loved Joyce._

It must have been adrenaline caused by being alone at night, in the dark of woods that kept you warm inside. However, the further you went the colder it was for you and suddenly you were shaking, almost unable to walk and the thought of the long road ahead was even more scaring.

_You really should have stayed at Jim’s._

_Your Jim - because you two, after all, you were together, right?_

You kept walking but the sound of a car driving right next to you scared you enough to drag you out of your thoughts. You wanted to start running but instead stopped as the driver pulled over on the roadside and opened the window.

“Y/N? What the hell are you doing here?”

_Holy shit_. From all the people you knew, you did not expect to see him here. To be honest, he was the last person you would ever expect to see in the middle of the empty road that night. 

“Billy? I just… I’m walking home.”

“Really? Is that what you’re doing here?” He looked at you suspiciously, raising his right brow questioningly. “Okay, I’m not gonna ask what happened, but get in the car. I’m gonna drive you home.”

“Oh, there’s no need for you to do so, I’m good.”

“Get inside. Now.” Billy ordered, pointing his head at the free seat next to him. “I won’t take a no as an answer, you know that.”

You rolled your eyes at first, but eventually, you agreed and a moment later you were on your way to your house on the outskirts of Hawkins. It was an awkward situation considering your history with Billy Hargrove - _one of the most handsome guys in Hawkins_ \- and surely, _the bad guy._ You had a moment together, but the relationship you wanted to create did not work out - maybe it was because of the different personalities or maybe because he was just not your type - he was handsome, but you have always wanted more than that from a man. Anyway, you decided to end things and at first, Billy did not take it well. 

Was it possible that he eventually got over it?

“Billy?” You whispered.

“Hmm?” He hummed.

“Thank you for taking me from that road. And I’m sorry for the way I ended things between us.” You looked at him, hoping he would look back at you but he stayed focused on the road. “I wish it had ended up differently.”

“It’s okay. There was not much between us, but whatever it was… It was fun, you’re pretty and all these things.” He admitted after a moment. “I wish it had lasted longer but I think I’m good with whatever we had. Anyway, I moved on.”

“You really did?” You asked, but he did not answer. You continued talking as if you have never asked him about that. “I’m glad to hear that, Billy. I really am.”

“How about you? Have you moved on already?”

“I tried. But it didn’t end up well, I guess.”

“Why?”

“Let’s say… It’s just complicated. I hoped for the best but ended up alone in the middle of the night.” You laughed, but at the same time, you were trying to hold back tears. “God, am I really this pathetic? It doesn’t really matter, I… I shouldn’t be talking to you about it.”

“You’re not pathetic…” Billy said and looked at you for the first time since he started driving. “Don’t cry, pretty. He ain’t worth your tears and you can still talk to me about whatever you want.”

“He?”

“I suppose you’re not crying over a dress or something, right? It’s always about another person.” He asked rhetorically, patting your thigh comfortingly. “It’s always about the men for you. Oh, women, I wish I could understand you all.”

You chuckled then you wiped them away from your cheeks. Your house appeared in the distance and after a minute or so, Billy pulled over right next to it. He turned off the engine then the lights and sat with you in the car for a while.

“You’re sure that you’re okay? Can I leave you knowing that you’re gonna be fine?” He asked you.

“I’m fine. Go. I won’t hold you back.” You smiled at him and opened the door to get out of his car.

“Alright… Just… Call me if you need anything. I still like you as a friend. Just so you know.” He leaned down to hug you in a goodbye gesture. You hugged him back, reminding yourself how good it was to be with him, back in the days. _However, these days were over. And long gone._

“Thank you, again. As a friend, I still like you too, Billy Hargrove.” You said stepping out of his car. “Take care.”

“You too.” He replied and drove away, leaving you alone in front of your house.

You stood there for a while and watched his car disappear in the darkness of the night. The lights in your house were off, but through the window, you could see a TV screen that was still on. Your dad must have forgotten to turn it off when he was leaving for work.

“Seriously? You let him drive you home?”

“As if you cared, Hopper.” His voice scared you out. You turned around, folding your arms slowly. “What do you want?”

“Nothing. I just went after you so I could give you a ride, but when I reached you, you were already with him.” He said angrily, emphasising the part with him giving you a ride instead of Billy. “Is there something between you two?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“No. There’s nothing between Billy and me.”

“I hate when you speak this boy’s name.”

“Oh, really? Billy, Billy, Billy…” You were playing on his nerves every time you spoke his name. “But honestly, I don’t know why you have a problem with him. It’s not like he’s my type or something.”

“That’s why you two were hugging in his car?”

“Damn, that’s your problem. You’re jealous, chief.” You told him and he opened his mouth to say something in his defence, but you kept talking. “Good. Then you might have a slight idea of how I feel almost every day when I see you with Joyce. I know you guys have known each other for a long time, have mutual problems you’re trying to solve together, but… It hurts.”

“Y/N…”

“I mean… If you feel something for Joyce… I don’t want to be your distraction, Jim.”

“You’re not a distraction. You’ve never been a distraction. It’s just… Let’s talk, okay? Like two grown adults.”

“Like two grown adults, huh? You know what?” You repeated his words ironically. “We’re not going anywhere with that conversation. I think I’ve had enough for one night. Goodnight, Jim.”

You were about to turn around when he grabbed your hand and stopped you from walking away from him. “Let me… Explain.”

“But what do you want to explain? How much you’re in love with Joyce, not me?” You were not in the mood for arguing. “It’s late. I’m not doing this.”

“No, no, no…” He grabbed your other hand and moved closer to you. “Come back to the cabin with me. Please. We can talk there.”

He looked at you with his puppy eyes and you could not resist. He was so close to you, the tips of your noses were almost touching. You smiled as the tip of his nose brushed yours and his lips brushed yours gently.

“Please.” He murmured. “I don’t want to spend this night alone.”

“Then ask Joyce. I’m sure she will keep you company.” You said sarcastically, pulling away from him.

“I don’t want Joyce. I want you.” He kept trying really hard, you had to give him that. “Only you.”

“Fine.” You eventually agreed. “But don’t make me regret my decision.”

You don’t remember the most of the road as you focused on the awkward silence between you and Jim. When you arrived, you quickly walked inside his cabin and then you watched Jim locking the door and putting away the keys. He took off his coat and put it around you.

“I love watching you wearing my coat. I hope it will keep you warm.”

“You can keep me warm better than this.” You did not quite believe you said it out loud. Your cheeks went red in no time. “If you only wanted to.”

“I want to. But I can’t understand why you rush it so much.” He asked, putting his hands around your waist. “It’s complicated.”

“What is complicated, Jim? I thought we both wanted this…” You got confused. “If things have changed… Just tell me.”

He sighed loudly and at the same bought himself some time to gather his thoughts. “I’m just… Scared. Funny, isn’t it? But that’s the truth. I realised that when I saw you with Hargrove earlier. You should spend your time with a guy like him, not like me - an old man with a baggage of problems who will only be a burden for you in time. I… I just can’t let myself let you close enough to me, because…”

“You think I’m gonna leave you? For someone younger? More handsome? That ain’t gonna happen.” You placed your hands on his arms. “I love you. It might be stupid of me, but that’s my truth. I can’t change the way I feel about you. The way I have always felt about you even though I apparently shouldn’t have.”

“I never said that.” He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “I just don’t know if I can let myself go through this again.”

“So pushing someone who cares about you is a better solution? Don’t be ridiculous.”

“Y/N…” He said your name and wanted to caress your cheek, but you stopped him before he could do so.

You looked him right in the eyes. _That was it_. You did not want to spend much more time arguing nor wasting your time._ It was love. And sometimes, in love as in poker, you have to play va banque._

“Will you let me in, Hopper?” You asked after a while, your voice shaking as you spoke. “Or should I go back home for real this time?”


End file.
